THIS MARKER HAS THE NEW GRIPS INSTALLED
When developing a new generation of Luxe, we feel it is vital to seek out information and data to guide the process. The Luxe brand has always sponsored, supported and employed world class players. We seek input from those players so that we can bring you the very best design features and technology possible.
In this case, Ryan Moorhead of Houston Heat, preformed an integral role in the development of the Luxe IDOL project. Not only does Ryan have a storied career at the top of the paintball game, but his experience with a wide range of markers, and every generation of Luxe gives him a unique perspective that is reflected in the IDOL's design.
The Luxe IDOL represents the widest range of changes in a single revision of the Luxe platform. All components have been closely scrutinized and evaluated to enhance the strengths of the Luxe, while addressing players' desire for continually advancing technology and reliability.
Aesthetic Body Design
The Luxe IDOL carries forward design cues from its predecessors in the way a supercar might harken back to its roots, carrying forward an ethos to all future models. The Luxe IDOL maintains the classic and clean Luxe silhouette yet strips away any excess to achieve a modern minimalist style.
The front marker jewel has been replaced with a matching anodized plate, locked in by the feed tube base. This covers a vital mill-through location that was previously covered by a jewel, occasionally lost by players. A simple change that increases the durability of the Luxe's aesthetic presence.
Previous Luxe designs featured a visually appealing, partially shrouded barrel base that in some circumstances could trap debris in sandy environments. By de-shrouding the barrel, there is less chance to trap debris, and the reduction of bulk allows for a greater range of hand positions.
The Luxe IDOL also eliminates the often-forgotten O-ring at the head of the breach present on previous generations of Luxe. Once again, speeding up barrel fastening, eliminating a pocket for debris to accumulate, and providing a more consistent shot signature.
The Luxe IDOL design is timeless and focused, shaped by the game and proven by competition.
Ergonomic Intro
Since its introduction the Luxe's ergonomic philosophy revolutionized paintball. Comparing a first generation Luxe to other markers of its time period, it is obvious that the Luxe has lead the way in grip spacing, contact points, marker length and overall ergonomics.
The Luxe feel and handling are the standards against all markers are judged.
Gripframe Design
Luxe IDOL has steered clear of the trends of bulky frames and plastic contact surfaces. Staying true to its premium feel and luxurious ambiance, changes made to the grip frame enhance the tactile perception of quality while increasing ease of ownership and decreasing maintenance effort.
Luxe has eliminated all grip screws and snap grips for the IDOL model. A solid metal backstrap snaps into the frame, locking the newly designed grip firmly in place. The grip itself has been drastically altered, focusing on tactile feel, including changes to texture and material durometer. Screen placement was carefully considered to provide a consistent feel in both the left and right hand.
The removable backstrap changes how players access critical components of the marker, making usage and maintenance even easier than before. When the rear panel is removed, players can swap a battery, engage the tournament lock, or even charge or program the marker through the USB-C without tools.
Additionally, battery retention is no longer affected by grip wear, and the battery lock is now integral to the frame. Board contact terminals have also been upgraded to reduce sensitivity to shocks and battery positioning.
Internally, the grip frame was drastically redesigned to house the Luxe IDOL's electronic package but also to increase reliability. Additional water-sealing interfaces with the grip to further enhance debris resistance, and a repositioned micro switch prevents damage from misadjusted or aftermarket triggers.
Trigger Design
The Luxe trigger has remained consistent for nearly a decade, with thousands of players enjoying the shape, feel, adjustability, and appearance.
For the Luxe IDOL, we wanted to update the design to reflect the changing marker configurations and player body positioning prevalent in today's game. This update has taken the form of a shallow deuce design with a critical lip at its base.
The trigger's adaptations allow each player to grip the Luxe IDOL however they choose while ensuring clear and consistent access to the trigger.
The new Luxe IDOL trigger is visually more complex than previous Luxe triggers, just as playing styles have become more diverse and complex. In combination with the IDOL's reconfigured trigger switch, this is our most responsive trigger ever.
Foregrip Design
The redesigned foregrip and regulator cover focus on increasing comfort for a range of shoulder positions, hand sizes, and playing styles while enhancing grip and durability.
The IDOL foregrip panel locks into the body itself, eliminating the chance of obstructing barrel threads. The rear of the foregrip is deliberately flat to aid in marker indexing during high-stress situations and features additional milling to maximize contact surface.
Players who use a traditional grip will appreciate the finger spacing on the front grip panel, which is more aggressive than previous Luxe models yet does not restrict movement. Players with a freestyle grip or more non-traditional ergonomic demands will benefit from excellent spacing of the control surfaces and room provided for creative positioning.
With no bulky grip and no clunky plastic, the Luxe IDOL sets a new benchmark for marker handling. Designed around fitting the player, not just containing the components in the marker.
ASA Design
Previous generations of Luxe have all used a similar lever-style air source adapter. This design has proven durable, reliable, and easy to maintain for years. When we sought to make changes to such a well-proven component it required careful consideration.
To improve upon the design, the Luxe IDOL sought to further simplify the air source adapter, eliminating permanently pinned components and minimizing tools needed for the rebuilding process. Functionally, the activation lever was redesigned to prevent accidental engagement when the IDOL is stood up flat. Additionally, the lever is now made from stainless steel to enhance durability and resistance to bending. The activation pin, responsible for opening the tank valve, has been reworked to travel in a completely linear manner, ensuring that even higher pressure valves will open with ease. The pin itself is made of quality naval brass that will get smoother with use, yet is still highly corrosion resistant.
Continual improvement requires attention to the smallest details, and your tank's connection to the marker is no exception.
Barrel Design
For the first time since 2008, the stock Luxe barrel has been completely redesigned. It is meticulously crafted to seamlessly match the aesthetics of the marker while enhancing functionality. This unique design not only provides a distinctive appearance but also offers additional grip for easier removal and installation of the barrel.
To achieve the look and feel desired for the IDOL barrel back, we utilized a 3D machining process. This is not normally used on barrels due to cost, however it allows complex and clean cuts not possible with simpler machining methods.
We removed all external cutouts to improve the barrel's appearance and facilitate easier cleaning. The IDOL now comes stocked with two inserts: one Small Bore and one Large Bore, allowing you to match your paint and achieve optimal performance right out of the box. Our stock barrel is also FREAK XL compatible, offering a wide range of insert possibilities.
We have chosen to retain Luxe threading for the barrel-to-body connection. We believe Luxe threading is superior to industry standards, offering faster engagement and less susceptibility to damage due to its coarser double lead thread. Additionally, our Luxe threading is 3/8" shorter, reducing the overall required length of the breach and the marker.
Other Reliability External Design Enhancements
Historically, every Luxe model becomes easier to use and maintain than its predecessor, and the IDOL continues this tradition. Our engineers focused on addressing concerns raised by players passionate about customization and those living in extreme climates.
The popularity of customization has always been high in paintball, and Luxe has continually offered the largest selection of color and finish options of any manufacturer.
In response to a growing trend of players seeking third-party anodizing, the Luxe IDOL eliminates any permanent magnets, retaining them instead with a secure latch. No drilling or extreme actions are needed to remove the magnets for safe anodization.
Body plugs have been minimized to a single loctited plug, simplifying the strip-down procedure as well as repair and assembly processes. This benefits players in extreme climates where Loctite may fail (110 °F) and players stripping their markers for anodizing.
In addition to minimizing the number of loctited body plugs, the Luxe IDOL also eliminates Loctite usage on its frame air transfer ports. The IDOL utilizes a floating double-seal design, made from stainless steel and utilizing urethane O-rings to drastically reduce the possibility of creating a leak when separating components.
Because the floating double-sealed design can move within its pocket, the Luxe IDOL will not produce a leak when the frame or ASA become loose. Even if your ASA were to become loose during a game, as long as it stays attached to the marker, it will not leak. This technology is unique to the Luxe IDOL and Shocker ERA platform, ensuring you stay on the field unlike any other marker.
Bolt System
Within the core of the Luxe IDOL, the spool, bolt guide, bolt, bolt-can, and fire chamber have all been updated to fine-tune fitment, alignment, and shot quality. Some changes are readily visible, while others are less noticeable visually, each contributing significant improvements in function.
The overall stroke of the bolt on the IDOL has been extended, allowing for a multi-stage air release on the ball, reducing physical and pneumatic impact. This change enables the Luxe IDOL to effectively handle brittle and cold paint that other markers may struggle with.
In addition to the stroke, the IDOL bolt has been equipped with an "air skirt" at the base, further softening the pneumatic impact. This reduction of pneumatic impact means fewer micro-fractures are created on the ball's surface, thereby reducing the likelihood of barrel breaks.
The bolt face itself has also been altered to maximize flow and contact surface area with the ball, evenly transferring physical energy across its surface. Grooves in the bolt face ensure that no suction occurs with the surface of the ball, improving feeding and eliminating blowback.
A new bolt guide introduced to the Luxe IDOL includes an anti-rollback cone integrated into the tip. This extension allows the IDOL to have a "flat-faced" bolt while at rest and an open-face bolt during cycling.
The entire bolt system is designed to work in unison, offering the best paint handling, sound signature, and efficiency in the history of the Luxe platform.
Board & Electronics
When the Luxe was first introduced, it communicated with users through voice cues, eliminating the need for screens and flashing lights, a revolutionary feature at the time.
Since then, technology has advanced significantly. The Luxe platform seamlessly integrates voice and screen feedback, enabling players to access information and make programming changes quickly and easily.
Now, full-color screen technology meets the standards of a Luxe. The Luxe IDOL features the best screen ever used in paintball, boasting high resolution, daylight brightness, and exceptional energy efficiency.
Competitive gameplay exposes equipment weaknesses, occasionally leading to component damage or failure. The Luxe IDOL addresses this by utilizing a modular board system, allowing users to replace damaged components without replacing the entire electronics group. This not only reduces costs for the player but also facilitates rapid repair, even by amateur technicians.
Furthermore, the IDOL's electronic group includes enhancements to individual board components. The Luxe IDOL's vision system is now screw-mounted at both ends for a solid connection and increased durability. Additionally, all pin connections on the board have been replaced by spring connectors that offer greater travel and higher compression, enhancing shock resistance and aiding alignment.
New Case
The Luxe IDOL enhances an already robust and proven system.
The Luxe IDOL case was redesigned by world traveling players to fit the needs of todays players.
The outer case features a sleek matte black finish and durable zipper pulls. The handle has been redesigned for a more compact design and is now removable. Additionally, the handle can be positioned diagonally across the zipper to securely hold the case closed in case of a zipper breakage. Internally, the shell of the case has been simplified to accommodate two new internal sleeves. These sleeves are secured by bungee cords within the outer case.
The first internal sleeve is designed to hold your Luxe Idol and includes a slot for your player IDs. The second inner sleeve is intended for your spare kit and additional parts, all made from water-resistant tarpaulin material. The spare parts sleeve can hold up to seven inserts, barrel backs, or barrel fronts, eliminating the need for a secondary barrel case.
With the Luxe IDOL you are truly prepared for your greatest paintball adventures. You are prepared to become your own hero, your own IDOL.
